Baylor Canyon Fire Update – 3/4/19 7:30 PM

BAYLOR CANYON FIRE UPDATE – 3/4/19   7:30 PM

Jurisdiction:  Bureau of Land Management Las Cruces District

Date/Time Detected: 3/2/19 – 5:51 pm

Location:  Approximately 2 miles south of Organ, NM

Lat/Long:  Lat: 32°,23′,37.96″, Lon: 106°,35′,31.57″

Legal Description:  T22S, R3E, Sec 13

Firefighting Resources:   As of this evening, 13 personnel (combination of BLM and Forest Service firefighters), several engines and one helicopter are still assigned to the Baylor Canyon Fire.  Due to the ongoing success of the firefighting effort, some firefighting resources were released today.  The fire is now 75% contained.

Values at Risk:  None

Size:  50 acres

Containment:  75%

Cause: Human-caused, under investigation

Status: The fire is in very steep, rugged terrain and has been primarily burning in grass and brush at an elevation of 6,600 ft.  Small portions of the fire within the 50-acre perimeter continue to smolder, however smoke emissions remain light. 

Closure:  A temporary closure is in place at the intersections of Baylor Canyon Road/Los Vaqueros Road (southbound) and Dripping Springs Road/Baylor Canyon Road (northbound).  All trails within the vicinity of Baylor Canyon Fire are currently closed.

Temporary Closures help keep firefighters and the public safe, while the fire remains active.  It is expected that the closures will likely remain in place through Tuesday (3/5/19) morning.  However, please note that the the closures will be lifted only when the determination is made that it is safe to re-open the affected roads and trails.

Regarding smoke, if visibility becomes lower because of smoke, please visit the NM Department of Health’s smoke page:  https://nmtracking.org/fire

The next update will be provided tomorrow (3/5/19) around mid morning.

PIO:  Loretta Benavidez , 575-525-4463, lb.nmpio2@gmail.com